Theme session P will feature papers and topics related to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)​, the implementation of which has become an increasingly important driver of marine science across Europe, with marine ecosystem status assessed, good environmental status defined, status indicators developed, and monitoring programmes designed. Future challenges include developing the management tools to guide the bringing in of measures and to monitor their success.

While several stages​​ of MSFD implementation are complete in principle, many issues still need to be resolved, and many scientific questions have arisen. Key topics to be addressed during this session include definitions of good environmental status (given that pristine conditions have not existed in living memory), the choice of indicators for the likes of non-indigenous species, coping with uncertainty, accounting for climate change effects, and managing measures to mitigate human activity impact.

The session has a wide-ranging scope, with many ICES science and advice working groups, strategic initiatives, and steering groups connected to its contents.